Wolfgang Hampel. Founder of Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society for Betty MacDonald Fans all over the world.
Wolfgang Hampel interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and other famous writers and artists.
Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty MacDonald Interviews are very popular all over the world.
Wolfgang Hampel is also famous for his satirical poems and stories.

Cologne Police Chief Removed Following Assaults

Cologne's police chief was dismissed on Friday amid mounting criticism
of his force's handling of a string of New Year's Eve sexual assaults
and robberies.

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia said it was sending 60-year-old Wolfgang Albers into early retirement.

The state's interior minister, Ralf Jaeger, said the move was "necessary
to restore public trust and the Cologne police's ability to act, with a
view to upcoming major events." Cologne's annual Carnival is next
month.

Albers had faced mounting criticism for the police's handling of the
alleged New Year's Eve attacks on women by groups of men who were part
of a larger crowd of some 1,000 described as being of "Arab or North
African origin."

Police initially failed to mention the attacks around Cologne's main
station in their report the following morning, describing the New Year
festivities as "largely peaceful."

Albers acknowledged the mistake earlier this week, but dismissed
widespread criticism that officers were overwhelmed and reacted too
slowly in protecting the women.

However, an internal police report widely published in German media
Thursday indicated strongly that police were overwhelmed and described
how women had to run through mobs of drunken men outside Cologne's main
train station.

Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker suggested Friday that police had held back
information from her, including on where possible suspects in the
crimes came from, and said in a statement that her "trust in the Cologne
police leadership is significantly shaken." Albers rejected suggestions
that police had deliberately withheld information.

However, he said after his removal that he understands Jaeger's
decision. In a statement, Albers said that the events must be cleared up
in detail and "the public debate surrounding me is liable to complicate
and delay this work."

Earlier Friday, Germany's Interior Ministry said police have identified
18 asylum-seekers among 31 suspects in connection with the robberies and
assaults.

They were detained by federal police on suspicion of committing crimes
ranging from theft to assault, and in one case verbal abuse of a sexual
nature, Interior Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate told reporters in
Berlin. They were believed to be among the group of up to 1,000 people
in front of Cologne's main railway station on Thursday evening.

None of the 31 is currently suspected of committing sexual assaults —
the aspect of the Cologne assaults that has prompted outrage in Germany over the past week.

Plate said the suspects were nine Algerians, eight Moroccans, five Iranians, four Syrians, two Germans and one person each from Iraq, Serbia and the United States.

Cologne police said Friday they have received a total of 170 criminal
complaints related to New Year, including 120 of a sexual nature. In
addition to the 31 suspects detained by federal officers, city police
arrested two men from North Africa, aged 16 and 23, early Friday.
Prosecutors said later Friday that those two were released, citing a
lack of evidence against them.

The incidents have triggered calls for tighter immigration laws,
particularly from politicians opposed to Chancellor Angela Merkel's
open-door policy that allowed nearly 1.1 million refugees to enter the
country last year.

Government spokesman Georg Streiter said the chancellor wants "the whole
truth" about the events in Cologne and that "nothing should be held
back and nothing should be glossed over."

"It doesn't just harm our rule of law but also the great majority of
completely innocent refugees who have sought protection" in Germany, he
said.

Plate said authorities were investigating possible links to similar
sexual assaults in other cities to see whether there had been any
coordination. Swedish police said Friday that at least 15 young women
reported being groped by groups of men on New Year's Eve in the city of
Kalmar.

———

This story has been corrected to show that there were 31 suspects detained, not 32.

About Me

Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.